High wind warning issued, near hurricane force gusts expected
December 14th, 2006 - 6:02am
(Port Angeles) -- It could be a wild weather night for the North Olympic Peninsula.
The National Weather Service says another storm is expected to bring very strong winds and rain to the state later today and continuing into tomorrow.
Sustained winds of 40 miles per hour or more are forecast for both sides of the Cascades -- and the weather service says gusts could reach 80 or 90 miles per hour on the coast.
Meteorologist Jay Albrecht with the Seattle National Weather Service office tells Newsradio 1450 KONP an intense low is expected to form today and move onto the North Olympic Peninsula sometime tonight -- possibly between 8 and 10 o'clock.
He says computer models show once the low passes off to the northeast, there will be a very strong westerly surge through the Strait of Juan de Fuca, with 60 to 80 mile an hour winds possible over the water.
Albrecht says the area he is worried about the most tonight is the west side of Whidbey Island, but all water-exposed areas could get hammered.
Forecasters have a high wind watch in effect for all of Western Washington.
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